In recent years, a semiconductor device provided with a microminiaturized IC chip and an antenna for wireless communication (hereinafter also called a “semiconductor device” or an “IC tag”) has attracted attention. This semiconductor device performs transmission and reception of data by non-contact, through a wireless communication device referred to as a reader/writer.
As an application field of the semiconductor device transmitting and receiving data by wireless communication, merchandise management in the distribution industry is known. A merchandise management system using a bar code has been spread now, however, there is a case where data cannot be read out successfully when the bar code is attached to a curved surface or the printed surface is contaminated since the bar code is read out optically. On the other hand, in the method of performing transmission and reception of data by non-contact using a wireless communication device called a reader/writer, reading out can be performed regardless of the form of merchandise. Therefore, higher efficiency, lower cost, and the like of merchandise management have been expected. In addition, a broad range of applications such as a ticket, an airline passenger's ticket, or automatic adjustment of fare has been expected (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-149194). Such a system of identifying and managing people and articles by a minute semiconductor has been called an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), and has attracted attention gradually as a fundamental technology for the IT society.